Disclosing the receipt of new electronic message

ABSTRACT

A client is coupled to a modem pool and a server by a communication link in a wide area network. The client allows a user to browse the World Wide Web in response to user inputs entered entirely from a remote control device using a television set as a display device. The communication link to the client is shared by a telephone circuit at the client end of the link. A disruption in communication with the server may occur due to a Call Waiting signal caused by an incoming telephone call. The incoming call includes Caller ID information. In response to such a disruption, communication with the server is terminated. After pausing for a predetermined period of time, the client automatically re-establishes communication with the server if the line is clear. Upon reconnecting to the server, the client accesses a “White Pages” telephone directory Web site on a remote server. Using the number provided in the Caller ID information, the client looks up the name of the caller from the directory and stores the number and the corresponding name. Each time an incoming call is subsequently received from that number, the client displays the name of the calling party to the user as the call is received.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This is a divisional of copending U.S. patent application Ser.No. 08/660,087, filed Jun. 3, 1996, which is hereby incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention pertains to the field of client-servercomputer networking. More particularly, the present invention relates toa method and apparatus for providing communications between a client anda server in a computer network.

[0004] 2. Prior State of the Art

[0005] The number of homes and businesses using personal computers hasincreased substantially in recent years. Along with this increase hascome an explosion in the use of the Internet, and particularly in theuse of the World-Wide Web (“the Web”). The Web is a collection offormatted hypertext pages located on numerous computers around the worldthat are logically connected by the Internet. Advances in networktechnology, particularly software for providing user interfaces to theWeb (“Web browsers”), have made the Web accessible to a large segment ofthe population. However, despite the growth in the development and useof the Web, many people are still unable to take advantage of thisimportant resource.

[0006] Access to the Web has thus far been limited mostly to people whohave access to a personal computer. However, many people cannot affordthe cost of even a relatively inexpensive personal computer, whileothers are either unable or unwilling to learn the basic computer skillsthat are required to access the Web. Furthermore, Web browsers in theprior art generally do not provide the degree of user-friendlinessdesired by some people, and many computer novices do not have thepatience to learn how to use the software. Therefore, it would bedesirable to provide an inexpensive means by which a person can accessthe Web without the use of a personal computer. In particular, it wouldbe desirable for a person to be able to access the Web pages using anordinary television set and a remote control, so that the person feelsmore as if he or she is simply changing television channels. rather thanutilizing a complex computer network.

[0007] Computer systems often communicate data with each other overlarge distances using standard telephone lines (also known as “POTS,”for Plain Old Telephone Service). Often a computer does not have atelephone line dedicated solely for its own use, however. Instead, acomputer often uses a telephone line that is also used for standardtelephone voice communication. Such dual use of the telephone line cancause problems for computers. For example, many conventional telephoneservices provide a feature known as “Call Waiting,” which notifies aperson involved in a telephone conversation when there is anotherincoming call on that line. The person receiving the new call generallyis notified by an audible tone caused by a Call Waiting signal. Inresponse, the person can either switch to the other call withoutdisconnecting the call already in progress (a technique sometimes called“flashing”) or simply ignore the new call. However, a Call Waitingsignal can severely disrupt data communications if it is received whilea computer is using the line.

[0008] Although some communications software provides the ability todisable the Call Waiting signal, doing so has the disadvantage that thecomputer's user generally has no way of knowing when someone is tryingto reach him by telephone. Hence, it would be desirable to avoid severedisruptions without disabling the Call Waiting capability, particularlywhen browsing the Web.

[0009] Prior art systems that have accommodated Call Waiting duringmodem communications have done so only in client-to-clientcommunications, and have only handled the case of both clients andmodems being programmed to handle a Call Waiting interruption. Examplesof such systems are a voice-over-data modem designed by Phylon, Inc., ofFremont, Calif., and a data-only modem designed by CatapultEntertainment of Cupertino, Calif. Both products are designed for videogame play over a modem, and both handle Call Waiting interruptions bydetecting the interruption, signaling the other client of the condition,and then both clients terminating the phone connection to allow theincoming call to be answered. When the call is completed, one modemdials the other to resume game play.

[0010] These two systems do not handle a more difficult condition: thatof a client modem that is designed to handle a Call Waiting interruptionwhich is dialed into a server modem that is not. For example, such aclient modem might dial into a modem pool, such as that providingInternet access, which was designed using conventional modems. Sincesuch conventional modems were designed with the assumption that dial-upwould be through a phone connection that was not to be periodicallyinterrupted by Call Waiting, they do not support the signaling andreconnect protocols that allowed the prior art video game modems toresume a connection smoothly after a Call Waiting interruption.

[0011] Unfortunately, the vast majority of server modems in use in theworld today are conventional modems designed with the assumption thatthe dial-up is through a connection not periodically interrupted by CallWaiting. Thus, as a practical matter, the prior art video game modems,which rely on the system on the other side of the phone connection asincluding a Call Waiting aware modem and client, do not handle aclient-server modem connection that is interrupted by Call Waiting.

[0012] In addition to the Call Waiting feature, some telephone servicesprovide a feature known as Caller ID. Caller ID provides a person whoreceives a telephone call and who has the proper equipment with thephone number from which an incoming call originates. This service can bequite useful when the person receiving the call recognizes the number.However, people sometimes receive telephone calls originating fromtelephone numbers with which they are not familiar. Therefore, it wouldbe desirable to provide a Caller ID subscriber with more detailedinformation regarding the source of an incoming call. It would furtherbe desirable to provide such information to a subscriber who is usingthe telephone line to browse the Web at the time the call is received.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0013] In a client system communicating with a server system over acommunication link, a method is provided of responding to a disruptionin communication with the server system. The communication link includesa telephone line. In response to the disruption, the client terminatescommunication with the server. The client then established an on-hookcondition on the telephone line and waits for a ring signal.

[0014] Other features of the present invention will be apparent from theaccompanying drawings and from the detailed description which follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The present invention is illustrated by way of example and notlimitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which likereferences indicate similar elements and in which:

[0016]FIG. 1 illustrates several client systems connected to a serversystem in a network.

[0017]FIG. 2A illustrates a client system for browsing the World-WideWeb.

[0018]FIG. 2B is a block diagram of an electronics unit of the clientsystem.

[0019]FIG. 3 illustrates telephones, a client system, and a standardpersonal computer sharing one telephone line.

[0020]FIG. 4 illustrates the functional relationship between hardwareand software in the client system.

[0021]FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a routine for handling aninterruption in communication in the client system.

[0022]FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a routine for responding toa call-waiting signal.

[0023]FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a routine for determining aname associated with a phone number derived from Caller ID information.

[0024]FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a routine used by a clientsystem for selectively notifying a user of an incoming telephone call.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] A method and apparatus are described for managing communicationsbetween a client and a server in a computer network. In the followingdescription, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details areset forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the presentinvention. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art thatthe present invention may be practiced without these specific details.In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in blockdiagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presentinvention.

[0026] The present invention includes various steps, which will bedescribed below. The steps can be embodied in machine-executableinstructions, which can be used to cause a general-purpose orspecial-purpose processor programmed with the instructions to performthe steps. Alternatively, the steps of the present invention might beperformed by specific hardware components that contain hardwired logicfor performing the steps, or by any combination of programmed computercomponents and custom hardware components.

[0027] The present invention is included in a system, known as WebTV™,for providing a user with access to the Internet. A user of a WebTV™client generally accesses a WebTV™ server via a direct-dial telephone(POTS. for “plain old telephone service”), ISDN (Integrated ServicesDigital Network), or other similar connection, in order to browse theWeb, send and receive electronic mail (e-mail), and use various otherWebTV™ network services. In the preferred embodiment, the WebTV™ networkservices are provided by WebTV™ servers using software residing withinthe WebTV™ servers in conjunction with software residing within a WebTV™client.

[0028]FIG. 1 illustrates a basic configuration of the WebTV™ networkaccording to one embodiment. A number of WebTV™ clients 1 are coupled toa modem pool 2 via direct-dial, bi-directional data connections 29,which may be telephone (POTS, i.e.. “plain old telephone service”), ISDN(Integrated Services Digital Network), or any other similar type ofconnection. The modem pool 2 is coupled typically through a router, suchas that conventionally known in the art, to a number of remote servers 4via a conventional network infrastructure 3, such as the Internet. TheWebTV™ system also includes a WebTV™ server 5, which specificallysupports the WebTV™ clients 1. The WebTV™ clients 1 each have aconnection to the WebTV™ server 5 either directly or through the modempool 2 and the Internet 3. Note that the modem pool 2 is a conventionalmodem pool, such as those found today throughout the world providingaccess to the Internet and private networks.

[0029] Note that in this description, in order to facilitate explanationthe WebTV™ server 5 is generally discussed as if it were a singledevice, and functions provided by the WebTV™ services are generallydiscussed as being performed by such single device. However, the WebTV™server 5 may actually comprise multiple physical and logical devicesconnected in a distributed architecture, and the various functionsdiscussed below which are provided by the WebTV™ services may actuallybe distributed among multiple WebTV™ server devices.

[0030]FIG. 2A illustrates a WebTV™ client 1. The WebTV™ client 1includes an electronics unit 10 (hereinafter referred to as “the WebTV™box 10”), an ordinary television set 12, and a remote control 11. In analternative embodiment of the present invention, the WebTV™ box 10 isbuilt into the television set 12 as an integral unit. The WebTV™ box 10includes hardware and software for providing the user with a graphicaluser interface, by which the user can access the WebTV™ networkservices, browse the Web, send e-mail, and otherwise access theInternet.

[0031] The WebTV™ client 1 uses the television set 12 as a displaydevice. The WebTV™ box 10 is coupled to the television set 12 by a videolink 6. The video link 6 is an RF (radio frequency), S-video, compositevideo, or other equivalent form of video link. The communication link 29between the WebTV™ box 10 and the server 5 is either a telephone (POTS)connection 29 a or an ISDN connection 29 b. The WebTV™ box 10 receivesAC (alternating current) power through an AC power line 7.

[0032] Remote control 11 is operated by the user in order to control theWebTV™ client 1 in browsing the Web, sending e-mail, and performingother Internet-related functions. The WebTV™ box 10 receives commandsfrom remote control 11 via an infrared (IR) communication link. Inalternative embodiments, the link between the remote control 11 and theWebTV™ box 10 may be RF or any equivalent mode of transmission.

[0033]FIG. 2B is a block diagram of the internal features of the WebTV™box 10. Operation of the WebTV™ client 1 is controlled by a centralprocessing unit (CPU) 21 which is coupled to an Application-SpecificIntegrated Circuit (ASIC) 20. The CPU 21 executes software designed toimplement features of the present invention. ASIC 20 contains circuitrywhich may be used to implement certain features provided by the WebTV™client 1. ASIC 20 is coupled to an audio digital-to-analog converter 25which provides audio output to television 12. In addition, ASIC 20 iscoupled to a video encoder 26 which provides video output to televisionset 12. An IR interface 24 detects IR signals transmitted by remotecontrol 11 and, in response, provides corresponding electrical signalsto ASIC 20. A standard telephone modem 27 and an ISDN modem 30 arecoupled to ASIC 20 to provide connections 29 a and 29 b, respectively,to the modem pool 2 and, via the Internet 3, to the remote servers 4.Note that the WebTV™ box 10 also may include a cable television modem(not shown).

[0034] Also coupled to ASIC 20 is Read-Only Memory (ROM) 22, whichprovides storage of program code for implementing the applicationsoftware to be executed by the WebTV™ box 10. Note that ROM 22 may be aprogrammable ROM (PROM) or any form of erasable PROM (EPROM) or Flashmemory. Also coupled to ASIC 20 is Random Access Memory (RAM) 23. A massstorage device 28 may optionally be provided and coupled to ASIC 20. Themass storage device 28 may be used to input software or data to theclient or to download software of data received over network connection29. The mass storage device 28 includes any suitable medium for storingmachine-executable instructions, such as magnetic disks, optical disks,and the like.

[0035]FIG. 3 illustrates a WebTV™ client 1 implemented in a home 15according to one exemplary embodiment. Within the home 15, the WebTV™client 1 shares the telephone line 29 a with two conventional telephonesets (“extensions”) 10 and a modem of a personal computer 12.Accordingly, the telephone line 29 a is used for both data communication(by WebTV™ client 1 and the personal computer 12) and voicecommunication at different times. The telephone line 29 a corresponds toa single telephone number within the home 15.

[0036] As mentioned above, the WebTV™ box 10 includes applicationsoftware including a Web browser. Referring now to FIG. 2A, theabove-mentioned application software 31 operates in conjunction withoperating system (OS) software 32. The OS software 32 includes variousdevice drivers and otherwise provides an interface between theapplication software 31 and the system hardware components 40 (i.e., theelements illustrated in FIG. 1C).

[0037] In the preferred embodiment, the application software 31 and OSsoftware 32 are generally stored in ROM 22. It will be recognized,however, that either or both of application software 31 and OS software32 can be stored on any suitable storage medium, including magnetic oroptical storage devices.

[0038] Assume now that the WebTV™ client 1 is implemented in aconfiguration as shown in FIG. 3. That is, the WebTV™ client 1 shares asingle telephone line 29 a with one or more standard telephoneextensions in a home 15. Assume further that telephone service providedto the home 15 includes the Call Waiting and Caller ID services. Hence,an incoming telephone call received at the home 15 while the user isbrowsing the Web using the WebTV™ client 1 will be indicated byreception of a Call Waiting signal. The Call Waiting signal will causedisruptions in data communications on the telephone line. Some prior artclient-to-server modems treat a disruption such as a Call Waiting signalas an error condition and either attempt to maintain the data connectionor simply lose the connection. Other prior art client-to-server modemssimply disable the Call Waiting signal. A disadvantage of both of theseapproaches is that the user of the Web browser is typically left unawareof the incoming call. The present invention, however, overcomes thisdisadvantage.

[0039] Any interruption in data communication is essentially treated asa pause condition by the WebTV™ client 1. Specifically, in response toany interruption in data communication, including a Call Waiting signal,the client 1 automatically disconnects from the modem pool 2 and thenautomatically reconnects to the modem pool 2 at a later time whilemaintaining the user's browsing state. Referring now to FIG. 5, if aninterruption in communication is detected by the WebTV™ client 1 (step501) while the client 1 is in contact with the WebTV™ server 5 (or anyother server), then the client 1 saves information describing thecurrent browsing status to memory (RAM) 23 (step 502). The savedinformation includes all information that is necessary to exactlyidentify the Web site at which the user was browsing and toautomatically return to that location later without further input fromthe user. Once the status information is saved, the client 1automatically disconnects from the modem pool 2 (step 503). The client 1then waits for a predetermined time interval T₁ (ten seconds, forexample) (step 504). At the expiration of the time interval T₁, theclient 1 determines whether an incoming call is still being received byattempting to detect a ring signal on the telephone line 29 (step 505).Detection of a ring signal would indicate that a third party is stillattempting to call in, since an on-hook condition after a Call Waitingsignal tells the Telephone Company Central Office telephone switch thatit is to transmit a ring signal. The client 1 further determines whetherall telephone extensions are on the hook (i.e., inactive, or closed)(step 506). This determination is made by sensing the impedance on thetelephone line 29. If no ring signal is detected and all extensions areon the hook, then the client 1 automatically redials the modem pool 2and resumes the previous browsing state based the status informationsaved earlier (step 507). If, however, either a ring signal is detectedor an extension is off the hook (active) (e.g., if another member of thehousehold had picked up an extension phone and had begun to dial), thenthe client 1 waits until that is not the case before re-establishing theconnection to the modem pool 2. Thus, whether the disruption was a CallWaiting interruption or a disruption from another person trying to makea call, the same mechanism gracefully handles the situation.

[0040] As mentioned above, it is assumed that the telephone serviceprovided to the home 15 includes Caller ID service. Note, however, thatCaller ID service is not essential to support the Call Waitingcapabilities of the present invention. The present invention utilizesthe Caller ID information to provide the user with informationidentifying the source of the incoming call. Referring now to FIG. 6,assume that an incoming telephone call is received while the user isbrowsing the Web. Accordingly, the client 1 disconnects from the modempool 2 after saving browsing status information. The client 1 thencauses a message to be displayed to the user on the television set 12indicating that an incoming call is being received (step 601). Theclient then waits for Caller ID information. This information istypically is received between the first and second ring signal (step601). If Caller ID information is received before the expiration of apreset time period, such as before the second ring signal (step 602),then the client 1 determines whether the phone number of the incomingcall has previously been stored in memory 23 with a corresponding name(step 603). If so, the name corresponding to the source of the incomingcall is retrieved from memory 23 and displayed to the user inconjunction with the Call Waiting message (step 604). If no Caller IDinformation is received or if there is no name corresponding to theincoming phone number stored in memory 23, then a message is displayedto the user indicating that the name of the caller is unknown (step608). If the user accepts the incoming call by picking up one of thetelephone sets 10 within the predetermined number of rings, the routineends (step 605). However, if the user does not accept the call, client 1automatically answers the call. Specifically, the client 1 plays arecorded greeting to the caller (step 606) and then digitally recordsany message the incoming caller chooses to leave (step 607). The messageleft by the incoming caller is also played to the user of the client 1in real time as it is recorded, using the speaker of the television set12 for audio output.

[0041] Referring now to FIG. 7, the next time the client 1 connects tothe Internet, the client 1 automatically sends a request to appropriate“White Pages” database servers for the name of the source of the lasttelephone call (step 701), assuming Caller ID information was receivedfor that call. The request includes the telephone number provided by theCaller ID service. Such Web sites containing “White Pages” telephonedirectory information are well-known. The telephone directory Web siteallows the accessing party to search based on a given telephone numberor name. Accordingly, the client 1 automatically looks up the telephonenumber from the Caller ID information using the telephone directory Website (step 702). If the telephone directory Web site locates thetelephone number (step 703), then upon receiving the name, the client 1stores the telephone number and the corresponding name in memory 23 forfuture use (step 704). Hence, each time in the future an incoming callis received from that telephone number, the name of the calling party isautomatically retrieved from memory 23 and displayed to the user (FIG.6, step 604).

[0042] The present invention also includes a selective forwardingfeature by which the user of the client 1 is automatically notified viae-mail or telephone when an incoming telephone call is received from aspecified source, even if the user is at a geographic location differentfrom that of the client 1. The user initially selects a messageforwarding option and inputs an identity of a calling party to theclient 1. The identity may be specified in the form of a telephonenumber or a name. Number buttons on remote control 11 can be used toenter the digits of a telephone number. To enter alphabetical charactersof a name, the user can selects soft buttons within an image of akeyboard that is displayed on television set 12. Alternatively, thecharacters can be entered through the use of a wireless keyboard. Theuser also selects a forwarding mode as either “e-mail,” “telephone,” orboth and inputs a destination e-mail address and/or telephone numberdesignating the location to which the forwarding message is to be sent.

[0043]FIG. 8 illustrates a routine by which the client 1 forwardmessages to the user at a remote location. When an incoming call isreceived, then if the user has selected the message forwarding option(step 801), the client 1 determines whether the calling party identityspecified by the user matches the Caller ID information (step 802). Ifthe user-specified identity was provided as a name, the client 1 usesthe identification procedures described above to determine if there is amatch. Specifically, the client 1 determines whether the telephonenumber in the Caller ID information is stored in memory 23 and, if so,whether there is a corresponding name stored.

[0044] If the Caller ID information does not match the user-specifiedcaller identity, the standard routine for handling incoming calls isperformed (step 805). If, however, there is a match, then the client 1waits until the line is clear (i.e., no incoming call is being receivedand all handsets are on the hook) (step 803). When the line is clear,the client 1 automatically dispatches a message to the locationspecified by the user. The message may be a default message or auser-created message. If the telephone mode was selected, the client 1will automatically dial the user-specified destination telephone numberand play a pre-recorded message if the call is answered. Hence, usingthe above technique, the user is notified immediately when a specifiedparty calls, even when the user is located away from the client 1.

[0045] The present invention also provides conventional e-mailcapabilities. E-mail addressed to a WebTV™ user is stored in the WebTV™server 5. When e-mail addressed to the user is received by the server 5,the server 5 signals this fact to the client 1 if the client 1 ispresently connected to the server 5. Upon receiving this signal, theclient 1 provides an indication to the user that the user has e-mail.The indication is provided in the form of a lighted LED (Light-EmittingDiode) built into the housing of WebTV™ box 10, a text message displayedon television set 12, or both. In one embodiment of the presentinvention, the client 1 automatically dials out and connects to theWebTV™ server 5 at regular intervals or at specified times of the day todetermine whether the user has any new e-mail, and both downloads anye-mail into memory (e.g., RAM 23) for fast retrieval and illuminates theLED.

[0046] Another feature of the present invention relates to reducingcosts associated with ISDN service. As mentioned above, the client 1 hasboth a standard telephone connection 29 a and an ISDN connection 29 bwith the server 5. It is well known that an ISDN connection permitsfaster data communication than a standard telephone connection accordingto the present state of the art. However, ISDN service tends to be moreexpensive than standard telephone service. Consequently, the presentinvention provides a means for reducing communications costs associatedwith accessing the Internet. Specifically, the client 1 keeps track ofthe time of day and routes communications through the ISDN connection 29b during hours which are not considered “prime time” for ISDN usage.However, the client 1 automatically directs communications through thestandard telephone connection 29 a during ISDN prime time, when ratesare most expensive.

[0047] In another aspect of the present invention, the client 1automatically disconnects from the WebTV™ server 5 when no input fromthe user is received for a predetermined period of time. The currentbrowsing status is saved to memory 23 before disconnecting, as describedabove. The connection is automatically reestablished and the most recentbrowsing status is resumed as soon as the user enters any input whichrequires access to the network. Hence, the user is not required toinitiate a specific log-in procedure in order to resume browsing.

[0048] Thus, a method is provided, in a client processing system coupledto a server processing system, of managing communications between theclient and the server. Although the present invention has been describedwith reference to specific exemplary embodiments, it will be evidentthat various modifications and changes may be made to these embodimentswithout departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention asset forth in the claims. Accordingly, the specification and drawings areto be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. In a network system including a server system anda client system capable of connecting to the server system, the clientsystem including a display device for presenting a graphical display toa user and a housing separate from the display device, a method ofindicating the receipt of a new electronic message, comprising the stepsof: receiving, at the server system, the new electronic message, whereinthe new electronic message is associated with a user of the clientsystem; communicating between the client system and the server system,wherein the client system is informed of the new electronic message; andactivating an indicating device at the housing, thereby indicating tothe user that the new electronic message has been received.
 2. A methodas defined in claim 1, wherein the step of activating the indicatingdevice comprises the step of lighting an LED at the housing.
 3. A methodas defined in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the new electronicmessage comprises the steps of: receiving, at the server system, anelectronic mail message addressed to the user, wherein the electronicmail message is the new electronic message; and storing the electronicmail message at the server system.
 4. A method as defined in claim 1,wherein the step of communicating between the client system and theserver system comprises the step of initiating, by the client system,communication between the client system and the server system withoutdirect user involvement.
 5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein thestep of initiating communication is repeatedly conducted at regularintervals.
 6. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the step ofinitiating communication is repeatedly conducted at specified times ofday.
 7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step ofcommunicating between the client system and the server system isconducted without direct user involvement and comprises the step ofdownloading the new electronic message to the client system.
 8. A methodas defined in claim 1, further comprising, in addition to the step ofactivating the indicating device, the step of visually indicating thatthe new electronic mail message has been received using the displaydevice.
 9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the steps ofreceiving the new electronic message, communicating between the clientsystem and the server system, and activating the indicating device areeach conducted without direct user involvement.
 10. A method as definedin claim 1, wherein the new electronic message comprises an electronicmail message that has been received at the server system since theclient system last communicated with the server system.
 11. A method asdefined in claim 1, wherein the new electronic message comprises anelectronic mail message that has not yet been read by the user, theclient system previously having been informed of the electronic mailmessage during a previous step of communicating between the clientsystem and the server system.
 12. In a network system including a serversystem and a client system capable of connecting to the server system,the client system including a display device for presenting a graphicaldisplay to a user and a housing separate from the display device,wherein the housing includes an LED, a method of indicating the receiptof an electronic mail message, comprising the steps of: repeatedlyconducting the step of initiating, by the client system, communicationbetween the client system and the server system; receiving, at theserver system, the new electronic mail message; determining, by theclient system, that the new electronic mail message has been received atthe server system; downloading the new electronic mail message from theserver system to the client system; and lighting the LED, therebyindicating to the user that the new electronic message has beenreceived.
 13. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein the step ofinitiating communication between the client system and the server systemis repeatedly conducted without direct user involvement.
 14. A method asdefined in claim 13, wherein the step of initiating communicationbetween the client system and the server system is repeatedly conductedat regular intervals.
 15. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein thestep of initiating communication between the client system and theserver system is repeatedly conducted at specified times of day.
 16. Aclient system capable of connecting to a server system and communicatingwith the server system over a network, the client system comprising: aprocessor; a memory device; a housing containing the processor and thememory device, the housing including an indicating device for providinga visual indication to a user of the client system; a display deviceseparate from the housing, for providing a graphical display to the userbased on display information received from the processor; means fordetermining whether a new electronic mail message has been received atthe server system; and means for activating the indicating device afterthe new electronic mail message has been received at the server system.17. A client system as defined in claim 16, wherein the indicatingdevice is an LED.
 18. A computer program product for implementing amethod of indicating the receipt of a new electronic message, the methodbeing implemented in a client system connected to a server system over anetwork, wherein the client system includes a display device forpresenting a graphical display to a user and a housing separate from thedisplay device, the computer program product comprising: acomputer-readable medium carrying instructions capable of being executedby the client system, wherein the instructions comprise: program codemeans for establishing communication between the client system and theserver system; program code means for determining, via the communicationbetween the client system and the server system, that the new electronicmessage has been received at the server system: and program code meansfor activating an indicating device at the housing in response todetermining that the new electronic message has been received.
 19. Acomputer program product as defined in claim 18, wherein the programcode means for establishing communication comprises program code meansfor establishing the communication at regular intervals.
 20. A computerprogram product as defined in claim 18, wherein the program code meansfor establishing communication comprises program code means forestablishing the communication at specified times of day.
 21. A computerprogram product as defined in claim 18, wherein the instructions furthercomprise program code means for receiving the new electronic message,wherein the new electronic message has been downloaded from the serversystem over the network.
 22. A computer program product as defined inclaim 18, wherein the communication between the client system and theserver system is established without direct user involvement.